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Tahawwur Rana was brought back to New Delhi by teams of National Security Guard (NSG) and NIA, comprising senior officials, on a special plane from the US
US Marshals transferred custody of Tahawwur Rana to NIA in California | Image/US Marshals Service
Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, was transferred to the NIA team and representatives from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday (local time) by the US Marshals in California.
CNN-News18 has accessed visuals of Rana’s transfer, showing the 64-year-old terror suspect—chained, dressed in a prison uniform, with white hair and a beard—being escorted by US Marshals at what appears to be a military airbase.
Rana, a Canadian citizen and native of Pakistan, landed in Delhi around 6.30 pm on Thursday on a special flight following his extradition from the US. He was arrested by the NIA team upon his arrival and was sent to an anti-terror agency’s custody for 18 days by a Special Court.
The first image of Rana at Palam Airport showed him facing away from the camera, with white hair and a beard, wearing a brown overall over a grey outfit, as NIA officials escorted him.
“The NIA investigation team at the airport arrested Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin living primarily in Chicago (US), soon after he emerged from the airplane, after completing all the necessary legal formalities,” the probe agency said in an official statement.
The NIA said Rana was brought back to New Delhi by teams of National Security Guard (NSG) and NIA, comprising senior officials, on a special plane- Gulfstream G550 jet- from the US.
As many as ten terrorists from Pakistan on November 26, 2008, launched a series of coordinated attacks across Mumbai, targeting a railway station, two upscale hotels, and a Jewish centre after entering the city via the sea. The assault, which lasted nearly 60 hours, claimed the lives of 166 people.
Rana is known to be a close associate of David Coleman Headley, also known as Daood Gilani—a key conspirator in the attacks. A US citizen, Headley claimed that Rana provided logistical and financial assistance for carrying out the plot.
Rana faces serious charges of criminal conspiracy, waging war against India, murder, and violations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
